Electric-railway trolley



0. J. VAN DEPOELE, Deod. A WAHL & 0 A UOFFIN Executors (No Model.)

ELEGTRIG RAILWAY TROLLEY. I

Patented July 25,

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CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF LYNN; ALBERT WAHL AND CHARLES A. COF- FIN, EXECUTORS OF SAID VAN DEPOELE, DECEASED, ASSIGNORS TO THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS- ELECTRlC-RAILWAY TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 502,243, dated July 25, 1893.

Application filed August 9, 1838- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Upward Pressure Contacts for Suspended Electric Conductors, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to electric railways and it comprises a device for maintaining connection between an electrically propelled car moving along the line of travel, and an overhead supply conductor.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of the upper portion of a car, the contact arm, supply conductor and connected parts. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the contact arm, and those parts immediately connected therewith. Fig. 3 is a detail of the arm supporting joint. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the arm supporting joint. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing removable end section.

Similarletters denote like parts throughout.

As illustrated in the drawings, A, is the top or upper portion of a car upon which is mounted a board B, or other suitable piece of insulating material to which is attached at about its central portion a hinged and pivoted or universal joint 0. The board B, may be mounted upon any part of the top of the car, but is desirably and for convenience, located at the center thereof to facilitate the operation of the car from either end, it being only essential, however, to place it in such position as will afiord a sufficiently strong foundation for the contact arm and springs.

D, is the contact carrying arm referred to as the contact arm, and said arm is composed of a number of light steel rods d. Said rods are securely attached at their lower ends to a metallic block E, the lower portion of which is formed into a shank E, and fitted to engage a horizontal pivot e, in the joint 0. The rods d, of which the contact arm is principally composed, are arranged around a central bar 6', and said rods are supported and held apart by light metallic plates F, through which said rods pass and to which they are rigidly secured in desired positions. In the Serial No. 282,381. (No model.)

case of the outer supporting plate F, how ever, while the rods d, are securely connected thereto, the central rod 3, is free to move longitudinally therein as would be necessary to admit of its bending easily and the said rod also projects a foot or so beyond the said outer plate 1 The outer end of the rod e,

is bifurcated or fitted with a fork between the extremities of which is journaled a grooved 6c contact wheel G, or other contact device. From the hinge at the base of the arm D, to the cross plate F, the contact arm is practically stilt and rigid, but from the cross plate F, to the contact roller G, the central rod e, is free to bend and being quite flexible will impart all necessary or desirable resiliency to the contact arm and so prevent the power by which the contact arm is maintained in an approximately upright position from bringing the said contact arm G, into very sudden or violent contact with any depending parts of the supports of the conductor and will also prevent displacement of the contact by sudden jars or shocks and the otherwise resultant sparking.

At the .corners of the base 13, are secured tension springs H, and l. The springs H, are of sufficient strength to hold the contact arm in an approximately upright position and to continuously maintain the contact between the wheel G, and the under side of a conductor J, suspended along the line of travel of the car,'and said springs are attached to the lower part of the contact arm at a suitable distance above its pivotal point. The springs I, I, are similar to those marked H, but arranged and connected upon the opposite end of the board and to the opposite side of the contact arm. The contact arm being 0 thus pivotally mounted'between two oppositely acting sets of springs, if released would normally assume a vertical position. This, however, is not its operative position, the suspended conductor J, being desirably suspend- 5 ed at a less height above the car than the length of the contact arm.

When in operation the contact arm is lowered to the rear of the car and allowed to rise under the influence of springs H, until it enroc gages the under side of the conductor. Both sets of tension springs being alike, the arm will work precisely the same in either direction and it will readily be understood that when depressed in either direction, the tension of the opposite set of springs being m'l, they, as indicated in the drawings, will simply lie flat upon their support and exert no influence whatever. The central pivot C, will permit the arm to move laterally to follow the course of the wire should it be for any purpose or in any manner deflected from a position directly above the center of the track. Should it be found necessary to depress the contact arm down to or near to the roof of the car, as when passing under bridges or obstructions, buffer springs h, 2', united by cross plates h, z", are provided and located in such positions in front and rear of thejoint C, that the shank of the block E, will, when the arm approaches a horizontal position, rest thereon and compress one set thereof, the result being that if the arm is depressed to a position so near the horizontal as to render the tension springs H, inoperative and powerless to raise it, the resiliency of the buffer springs 11,2', (or 7L, 7b,) will, when its outer extremity is released, throw it up a sufficient distance to enable the springs H, (or I,) to again exert their influence. To reverse the position of the contact arm it is only necessary to free the contact from the conductor when it will immediately assume a vertical position from which it can be pulled down below and allowed to rise into engagement with the conductor from either front or rear of the car, as desired, being thus movable in an are including either end of the car.

The central hinge O, is a universal joint, the shank E of the block E, being hinged therein and the hinge block 0, itself pivotally secured upon its support by pin J. The hinge block 0, is provided with extensions e located between fixed side checks a which are cut away substantially as shown for the purpose of permitting a desired amount of lateral swing to the hinge block and contact arm, beyond which the extensions 6 will engage the checks and prevent further movement.

The end portion of the central rod c, may be removable as seen in Fig. 4.. As there shown, an end section 6 is removably secured in a socket formed in the second cross plate F and may be further secured by aset screw in the end plate F. With this construction longer or shorter end sections may be used and stiifer or more flexible pieces may be employed as found desirable, under the particular circumstances.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In electric railways a car provided with a contact carrying arm having a contact device at its free extremity and mounted at its lower end on a transverse axis carried by a support located upon the top of the car, substantially as described.

2. In electric railways, a car provided with a contact carrying arm hinged at its lower end upon a transverse axis and extending upward from the roof of said car, substantially as described.

3. An electric railway car provided with a contact carrying arm mounted at its lower end upon a hinged support located upon the roof of the car said support being also pivoted and capable of lateral swing, substantially as described.

4. The combination with an electric railway vehicle, of a contact carrying arm hinged at its base at about the center of the top thereof, and oppositely acting tension springs by which the arm may be held in an upright position toward either end of the car, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an electric railway vehicle, of a contact carrying arm hinged at its base at about the center of the top there of, opposing tension springs acting oppositely to elevate the arm to a vertical position and so arranged that when the contact arm is at any angle below the vertical one set of springs will be rendered inoperative, substantially as described.

6. The combination with an electric railway car, of a contact carrying arm hinged at its base at about the center of the top thereof, and duplex sets of oppositely acting tension springs by which the arm may be held in an upward position toward either end of the car, substantially as described.

7. The combination with an electric railway car, a contact arm hinged to a support upon the top thereof, duplex sets of tension springs acting oppositely to elevate the arm to a vertical position and so arranged that when the contact arm is at any angle below the vertical, one set of springs will be rendered inoperative, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto alflx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

\Vitnesses:

FRANKLAND J ANNUS, ll'IARTIN R. KAYS. 

